The Proboscis monkeys are famed for their long, protruding noses, used to attract a mate, and are the most captivating of all the forest creatures in Borneo. A visit to this sanctuary is a chance to see them unobstructed and close-up, yet still in a natural habitat.

Drive to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center where captured or orphaned orangutans are re-habituated for a return to the wild. Your guide will take you along trails and to viewing platforms where there are wonderful opportunities to view these "men of the forest" (orang is the Malay word for man). Later, you'll meet with biologists working for the center, who will give you a special, behind-the-scenes look at their work to save these endangered primates.

The perfect cap to your experience as an amateur wildlife researcher is in Sukau, the main village on the mighty Kinabatangan River, home to an astounding variety of plant and animal life. Here, you'll check-in to the comfortable, exclusive and remote Sukau Rainforest Lodge, a 20-room ecolodge with a 1,500-foot bird-and-wildlife-viewing boardwalk stretching into the surrounding jungle.

Start your day with your choice of several wildlife observation trips --one each in the early morning, afternoon, and evening will maximize your chances to take in the amazing diversity of wildlife that resides in the area. Commonly seen animals include proboscis monkeys, orangutans, herds of elephants, macaques, and all eight species of hornbills. If you are lucky, you may see a flat-headed cat, or even a rare Sumatran rhino.